After stringing together a handful of ’70s smashes (Late
For the Sky, The Pretender) that helped put Southern California’s burgeoning
folk-rock scene on the map, Jackson Browne spent much of the next two decades
running on empty, offering political manifestos masked as pop records to a
largely indifferent public. Now, on the strength of his 2004 induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a warmly received greatest-hits compilation and a
subsequent world tour that yielded the independently released Solo
Acoustic,
Vol. 1, Browne is back, this time to
support the Bill Graham Foundation at the legendary promoter’s 75th birthday
bash. And while cynics could easily, and somewhat justifiably, dismiss this
latest foray into the spotlight as yet another nostalgia trip, Browne continues
to vigorously rework his catalogue of classics, from early hits like “These
Days” and “For Everyman” to the righteously indignant title track from 1996’s Looking
East. He will join the Dead’s Mickey Hart,
the Neville Brothers and assorted special guests on Saturday, Jan. 7, to toast
the late Mr. Graham at his beloved Fillmore; call 673-6864 or visit www.ticketmaster.com for more info.